OpenVPM review
A broad, open-source veterinary system for technical single-location practices.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
OpenVPM is an open-source veterinary practice management system for companion-animal and house-call clinics. It combines day and week scheduling, doctor columns, recurring appointments, patient histories, SOAP notes, prescriptions, vaccines, estimates, invoices, payment tracking, inventory, client communications, reporting, and a shared patient-status board. It is aimed at connected, single-location practices with the technical resources to self-host or the budget for managed hosting. The optional AI agent supports patient lookup, summaries, dosing references, and appointment tools.
Pricing offers a clear choice between control and convenience. The Self-host plan is free under an AGPLv3 license, with Docker or Vercel deployment paths. It requires the practice to bring its own database, email, SMS, and AI keys. OpenVPM Cloud costs $79 per location per month, billed monthly, and includes unlimited staff without per-user fees, plus a managed database, storage, backups, updates, and an AI allowance. SMS activation follows review. The platform also provides a versioned REST API, scoped API keys, signed webhooks, CSV imports, and Stripe Connect, giving technical teams several routes for connecting clinic workflows.
Its strongest fit is a practice that wants broad operational coverage without per-user pricing and can make informed hosting or integration decisions. Controlled-substance logs, audit trails, role-based access, inventory lot tracking, reorder alerts, and automatic deduction add depth beyond basic appointment booking. However, the vendor describes live use as a controlled pilot and recommends validating workflows alongside an existing practice-management system before broader rollout. Hosted SMS and some payment or integration workflows require setup and approval, while multi-location production use is not currently ready. Practices seeking a mature multi-location deployment should choose an alternative; connected single-location clinics with technical resources are the clearer audience.
OpenVPM pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free self-hosting with scheduling, records, billing, and inventory
- Unlimited staff on Cloud with no per-user fees
- APIs, webhooks, audit trails, and role-based access included
- Where it doesn't
- Self-hosting requires your own database, email, SMS, and AI keys
- Hosted SMS and some payment workflows require setup and approval
- Multi-location production use is not currently ready
OpenVPM fact sheet, pricing and score →
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